Behold, A Savior
by Cloud Auditore Fair
Summary: As if saving the world of the living wasn't a large enough task, they have to find a new Seeker. Oh, and Shota might be among the only sane people left. Hiatus. Will be picked up after Beyond the Shadow of Sin is finished.


**A/N: **Warning: This story appears more serious at first than it really is.

Hey there, I noticed a serious shortage in C/K stories that made me sad and I figure if I have obligations, I won't sleep my days away. Obligations like this and Gone Forever. So, anyway, this story is mostly fun and a bunch of misadventures. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I do.

* * *

She didn't know what was wrong with Richard lately. Green eyes took in the stiffness of his shoulders ahead of her, took in how his pace slowed. At first she'd wondered if something happened while she and Kahlan were in that damned tomb, but he'd been strange before that. Noise slowly broke into Cara's awareness and before she knew it, something latched onto her arm. She sighed. It could only be Kahlan. "What?"

"I said you'll get terrible wrinkles if you keep making that face." She bit her lip upon seeing the obvious horror on Cara's face, but when it turned to glaring, she slipped into a fit of giggles and leaned into the blonde.

"It's impossible to walk like this. Get off me."

"I agree." Richard's voice ended Kahlan's giggles and everyone stopped, stared at him. He scowled at the ground, unable to stand Zedd's concerned curiosity, Kahlan's shock and what looked too much like pain on Cara's face. He opened his mouth to say something, but, finding nothing, he stormed further up the road.

Cara barely felt Kahlan release her, just watched numbly as the brunette walked to join Richard. Lord Rahl. He was angry with her, specifically regarding Kahlan. She saw it in his eyes, felt it in their bond. But she didn't know why. Rather, she hoped she didn't. There was no possible way for him to know, was there? Cara already knew she betrayed her Lord Rahl on a daily basis, but he just couldn't _know._ And if he did, then she had to make him understand she'd tried erasing it from existence, but she was rendered helpless by blue eyes every time.

"Wait." Zedd caught the Mord'Sith's arm. "This is between Richard and Kahlan and it's overdue, I'm afraid."

Cara stared at his intense, troubled face for a moment before sighing and looking to the Seeker and Confessor. She and Zedd couldn't hear particular words at this distance, but there was clearly an argument going on. It continued, Richard's voice steadily rising to the point that Cara's hand fell to her agiel. She frowned. What would she do, attack her Lord Rahl? And it was all too clear, too sudden, like the snapping of a bone, like breaking. Cara would not attack her Lord Rahl if he seemed a threat to the Mother Confessor. Of course not. She would utterly destroy him.

Richard jabbed a finger at Kahlan, his voice deafening in his anger. "Say it! We both know it's true!"

Cara's feet took quick steps without her consent, but blue eyes found her, willed her to stay, and she stopped.

Richard didn't miss it. He scoffed, jerking a hand toward Cara, who stood halfway between them and Zedd. "Amazing that _you_ command what is _mine_ with one _look._"

"I do not command her." Kahlan's voice was low, gentle, gentle as a snake in the lax second before strangling its prey.

Richard didn't even look at the Mother Confessor as he stomped toward Cara, shouldered past her. "Come on, we're going to Westland."

"No."

Everyone looked at Cara, the very air around them still, but it was Richard who spoke. "Excuse me?"

The Mord'Sith visibly clenched her jaw, only taking a heartbeat to fix her fierce gaze on Richard's. "Are you deaf?"

"No, but I—"

"Lord Rahl does not reside in Westland."

Kahlan watched him falter from Cara's interruption, her eyes flicking to Cara. As much as she wanted to intervene, she wanted the Mord'Sith to make the decision more.

"To D'Hara, then."

"You go alone and to your death, then." She looked him up and down, disdain creeping into her voice. "You are not fit to rule."

He straightened suddenly, his fingers curling into a fist. "So long as I breathe, you go where I go. You are bound to me." He slammed his fist to his chest for emphasis.

"My boy," Zedd piped up, "You do realize you just saluted her."

"We're going to Westland!" He blurted it angrily, desperately. "We—"

"Do as you wish," Kahlan cut in. "But Cara will do the same." She advanced on Richard slowly, her eyes never straying from his. She stopped just short of him, tilting her head to the side as if daring him. "We stand in the Midlands and as such, you will abide by me, Richard Cypher-Rahl. I care not for whatever station you possess. If you use your bond to bring pain or compel the future Commander of Aydindril's army, I will personally execute you."

"The what?" When Zedd hushed Cara, she scowled, both for the action and having not noticed his approach. Though she supposed being distracted by the Mother Confessor was a reasonable excuse. Not that she'd ever say it aloud.

Richard said nothing, his gaze on the ground, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

"If you're done, we have a quest to complete."

He looked at her as if searching for something, then walked off the road, toward the trees. "Have fun trying that without the one, true Seeker. I'll be in Westland, Zedd."

The wizard scratched his chin. "That was more dramatic than I thought it would be."

"The what?" Cara repeated.

Kahlan turned to Zedd. "How long have you known?"

"Quite some time, my dear."

"THE WHAT?"

Zedd and Kahlan looked at her, speaking at the same time. "There's no need to shout."

Cara huffed. "I'll go get Lord Rahl."

"No," Kahlan said flatly, glancing toward Zedd once Cara stopped walking. "We need a new Seeker."

"Are you out of your mind?"

Zedd watched Cara falter at the slightly hurt look on Kahlan's face. This was good, they just needed time. He cleared his throat. "I'm afraid Kahlan is right."

Kahlan stuck her tongue out at Cara and the Mord'Sith frowned, slowly looking at Zedd. "Let's say you're both right somehow. One of us still has to get that Truthful Sword."

Zedd looked down his nose at her. "Sword of Truth."

"That's what I said."

"Nooooooo," came a male voice from the trees, his tone musical. In a moment, he cartwheeled into the trio's eyesight. "I don't think sooooooo."

"Is that… a fool?"

"Cara!"

"What!"

Zedd leaned toward Cara. "I think she'd rather you say 'jester.'"

"It's the same thing," Cara objected, pointing at the man cartwheeling around them. "Just _look_ at him."

For a moment, nothing could be heard but the tinkling of the man's bells as the trio stared at him. Well, Cara openly glared. Tinkling bells weren't exactly her favorite thing and today was beyond awry.

"By the Creator," Zedd murmured. "Is he making perfect circles? Perfect circles are so difficult yet so necessary to a number of powerful spells." He missed Cara's Are-You-Serious look and motioned toward the strange man. "My boy, would you care to make perfect circles for me?"

Cara's mouth fell open. Just a little. "Aren't we supposed to be finding a new Seeker?" As if that concept wasn't mad enough.

Kahlan placed a hand on Zedd's arm. "I think circles can wait, Zedd."

"Maybe he's the Seeker. Just look at those circles."

"When the sun goes down, love can be found!" The jester passed Cara, missing the way her eyebrow twitched.

"Zedd," Kahlan started, "I don't think circles are a requirement for being the Seeker. We have to be reasonable."

The wizard sighed. "Maybe you're right. Do you think he can do squares? Not as magical, but much more difficult to perfect."

"If you just open your eyes, you can have love as limitless as the skies!"

Cara slammed her fist backward, catching the jester in the stomach as he attempted to cartwheel behind her.

Kahlan slapped Cara's arm. "Bad Cara!"

"MY LEG!"

Cara glanced back at the jester. He was curled up on the ground, holding his midsection. "That is not his leg."

"You ruined the circles!"

"MY LEG!"

Cara's eyes rolled up to the sky. At least the rhyming and tinkling bells stopped.

"The circles! Kahlan, she ruined the circles!"

"Shhh, it's okay, Zedd. She didn't mean to."

"The circles!"

Catching Kahlan's glare and the fact she mouthed "Fix it," Cara crouched beside the screaming jester. "That is not your leg. Roll in perfect circles or I will break your legs."

He obeyed, still yelling about his leg, and Zedd smiled happily.

Kahlan stared at the jester. "Do you think he can roll in squares?"

Cara looked down at her hip. Maybe she could agiel herself to death. It's not like there was another Mord'Sith nearby. She could stay in the Underworld. Anything to escape this insanity. Her eyes almost bulged out of her head when Zedd wondered aloud if triangles were more difficult than squares. She cleared her throat rather loudly and made a decision she would regret. "So, about that Truthful Sword we—"

"Sword of Truth!" Zedd boomed at an unimpressed and secretly thankful Cara. "How is that hard to understand?"

Cara shrugged a shoulder. "It's a stupid name."

Kahlan audibly slapped a hand to her mouth and the jester stopped rolling. Meanwhile, Zedd's mouth opened and closed and Cara stared blankly at the red-faced wizard.

"It's so true."

The whisper brought everyone's attention to Kahlan, who looked guilty and horrified that she'd voiced her thoughts. As Zedd seemed to recover, a red boot nudged the jester twice before forcefully urging him to roll in circles. Zedd watched the jester with an expression that suggested he still had something to say about Kahlan's comment, and the brunette threw a hopeful look toward Cara.

"So who's getting the sword?" Cara asked loudly, rolling her eyes at Kahlan's thankful smile.

Zedd looked between them, seemingly confused. "Oh! Yes! The new Seeker will need the Sword of Truth. Stand back, dear."

He briefly shooed Kahlan away. She stood beside Cara, who huffed but didn't move away. She shifted closer so their shoulders touched and crossed her arms the same way Cara had. Just as the blonde turned her head to glare, Zedd started.

"Now," Zedd boomed, throwing his hands into the air. "Cara, if you will." He stared at the sky with an intense expression and said nothing more.

A moment passed.

"If I will what?"

Still, he said nothing.

Kahlan leaned into Cara to whisper in her ear, smiling a little at how the Mord'Sith stiffened. "Powerful magic needs circles, remember?"

Instead of easily voicing her doubt with a sharp remark, Cara mutely took measured steps toward the sitting jester. She didn't even uncross her arms as she planted her boot on his shoulder and pushed. Green eyes watched him roll around Zedd without needing to be told before settling on the wizard. Cara resolutely pretended Kahlan wasn't even there in an attempt to recompose herself. Damned Confessor.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Zedd's sudden yell made Kahlan grab Cara's arm even as the blonde twitched to agiel the man. A definite stillness settled, aside from the sound of the jester's rolling. As the silence stretched, Cara frowned.

"Well?"

"Hush," Kahlan admonished, complete with a gentle slap of Cara's arm.

Just as Cara began to wonder when and how the Confessor got so close to her again, there was a small cracking noise. A wispy whiteness formed around Zedd and soon took the shape of an owl. It flapped its wings experimentally, though it didn't appear to need them as it floated. A few flaps later, it started to loosely fly around Cara.

"Circles!"

Cara's eyebrow twitched dangerously as she stared at the old man, thinking he'd finally lost the small, questionable piece of his mind he had. She felt the Confessor urgently patting her arm and whipped her head around with the idea of demanding to know what it was she could possibly want now, but she only made a strangled noise.

The owl had perched atop her head.

Zedd broke the strained silence, though only barely. "Oh, dear."

Kahlan's eyes finally left the owl in favor of Cara, and blue eyes got even wider. The Mord'Sith stared directly at her, but Kahlan suspected she didn't even really see her. "Cara," she whispered. Nothing. She was entirely sure the expression on Cara's face was dangerous and the woman seemed stuck. The Confessor withdrew her hand from her friend's arm and, cringing, slapped the Mord'Sith.

"Woooooods!"

Kahlan didn't even look up at the owl, though, a summoned owl sitting on a Mord'Sith's head and saying something about the woods was definitely something to look at. Or get far away from.

The blonde's jaw moved a little. Composure came back to her all at once with a slight tilt of her head, during which the owl seemed largely unbothered. "You should step back, Confessor."

Kahlan shook her head, her eyes never leaving Cara's.

"Very well."

Zedd took a small step toward the pair. "Now, Cara, this is powerful magic. Don't—"

Cara slowly drew an agiel.

"—Oh dear."

The agiel hissed violently as it jabbed into and through the owl.

It hooted and flapped its wings as if offended.

Again, the agiel jabbed into the owl with no effect. Cara's swings and jabs grew wilder and her agiel screamed as if projecting its owner's increasingly hostile attitude. Soon enough, it was unnecessary. Cara dropped the agiel with a guttural growl and swung her fists at the incorporeal owl atop her head. In her fury, she caught a glimpse of Kahlan with a hand to her mouth. "Not funny, Confessor!"

Cara gave a small, frustrated scream and dropped to the ground, swatting at the owl that flapped above her and hooted as if she had disturbed it from its proper perch. It kept trying to land on her but she was rolling and swinging and yelling obscenities and being generally unpleasant.

Kahlan giggled. She'd never let Cara live this down. "I'll be sure to tell your soldiers about the time a ghost owl got the better of you."

"It is not a ghost!"

Cara froze and stared with Kahlan in shock at Zedd. Meanwhile, the owl settled on Cara's knee and hooted happily. Green eyes glared at it before returning to Zedd, offended by his indignation. He wasn't the one being harassed by the stupid thing. "Then what is it?"

"I… don't remember."

The Mord'Sith picked her agiel off the ground and pointed it at the owl on her knee. "I hate you."

"You don't remember, Zedd?"

The wizard huffed at her concerned tone. "I've forgotten more magic than anyone will learn."

Kahlan didn't look convinced and stared at him until he looked away.

"I'm going to kill every owl I see until you're gone forever."

"What?"

"Wasn't talking to you, Confessor." Cara stood, dusting herself off. When the owl got too close to her, she muttered, "Every single one."

The owl screeched and flew into the woods.

Cara rolled her shoulders, ignoring Kahlan's eyes on her. "Sword of Truth."

"Ah, yes." Zedd rubbed his chin and muttered to himself about something or other, but neither woman paid any attention. In a minute or so, he lifted his hands and said something his companions couldn't understand.

He didn't notice Cara's intense stare.

This time, the spell produced a loud cracking noise… above Cara's head.

The Mord'Sith stepped back without looking up and the Sword of Truth's blade, glowing white, whistled down right where she'd been standing. Her hand snapped up and caught it by the handle before the tip of the blade touched the ground. Cara's eyes flicked down to the sword as it returned to its normal color. She raised an eyebrow at Zedd. "I'm starting to seriously doubt you, Wizard."

"Spoken like someone who doesn't understand the importance of circles!"

"Well, that _could've_ impaled her, Zedd," Kahlan said tentatively.

"But it didn't!"

Cara did not approve of that outlook.

"You have a point, but what if it had? Who would command my army?"

"Yes," Cara said loudly. "What is this about commanding your army?"

Kahlan suddenly looked to Zedd. "Where's the scabbard?"

"Seems I've forgotten it. Just a moment!"

Green eyes narrowed at the Confessor. She'd let this go, for now. The sword suddenly had additional weight to it. A glance showed her the scabbard, perfectly fitted over the sword. "How accurate," she said pointedly, quirking an eyebrow at Zedd.

"Off we go!" He hurriedly started walking again. "We've had such a delay and we have to find a new Seeker. No time to waste."

The women managed to look at each other at exactly the same time, both having just noticed the jester was gone. Cara shrugged and walked after the wizard, unsurprised when Kahlan soon fell in step with her. "Tell me again why you can't just do that with this stupid stone."

"Maybe you'll understand if I say that it's the same as you interrogating someone in a different building."

Cara frowned. "I would just go to the other building."

"WHAT IF THE BUILDING IS ACTUALLY A TREE?"

Kahlan shushed Cara, unable to imagine what the woman could say next, and the two followed the worked-up wizard at a slower pace on account of Kahlan's decision. Hopefully, he'd huff and puff and calm down before they had to make camp. The Confessor shook her head, a small smile on her face. Cara wasn't even intentionally harassing Zedd and likely thought he got agitated for no reason. That silly woman. Kahlan heard said woman huff. "Something wrong?"

Cara blinked at Kahlan. Her lips parted, but she just shook her head, looking back at the sword in her hand. She stopped walking, and a small part of her was pleased that Kahlan stopped right beside her. "I don't know how to wear it without it getting in the way."

Kahlan bit her lip to keep from smiling. Cara was pouting, and she didn't want to alert the Mord'Sith to it. She cleared her throat. "I'll take it."

The Mord'Sith jerked the sword away from Kahlan's reaching hand and looked away from the shock in blue eyes. "I'll figure it out."

Her hand fell to her side as she watched Cara walk away. She convinced her body to move at the same time that Cara slung the sword over a shoulder and adjusted it. As the Mord'Sith fidgeted with it, Kahlan understood. The sword had been Richard's, and would be a reminder of him to Kahlan. Cara preferred to take something of who should have been her master, someone she'd betrayed, than allow something to pain Kahlan.

Warmth blossomed in Kahlan's chest and she loosely held onto Cara's wrist with a smile.

* * *

In spite of Cara's feeling that things were only starting to get weird, the rest of their day had been largely uneventful. In fact, they even made it to the next town before sundown. The Mord'Sith threw herself into a chair at the tavern by the time Kahlan and Zedd entered. She rolled her eyes at the exclamations they got. (Funny how quickly people partially forgot she was a dangerous Mord'Sith once they realized she was with the Confessor.)

"What's that look for?"

"I'm not a tamed animal."

Kahlan's confusion would go unresolved as a young man approached her. "Mother Confessor… where's the Seeker?"

Cara growled at him. "Not here." He skittered away from the Mord'Sith and she looked up at Kahlan with a huff. "People forget who I am."

Kahlan stared at her, into her, in that way she does that Cara wasn't sure other Confessors possessed. Blue eyes more endless than time with greater depths than the seas. Then Kahlan jerked, as if coming back to herself, and she let her hand fall to the blonde's shoulder. "You're Cara."

Questions about the Seeker were few and often cut short upon feeling the Mord'Sith's glare and Zedd huffed whenever he saw her but the night passed rather quickly, if tense. And the reason for the tension came to light as Zedd was about to go to bed after his third serving of food.

"Please."

Cara narrowed her eyes at the same young man from earlier, again approaching Kahlan.

"You have to tell the Seeker to help us."

"What is it?"

"A monster. Please, the Seeker—"

Cara gripped his shirt. "You're not telling us anything that will let us help you, boy."

After Kahlan took hold of Cara's wrist, he found his voice. "We don't know what it is. It makes terrible noises at night and, and, it _takes_ people."

"It destroyed ol' Grumsin's cabin and no one's seen 'em since!" pitched in some woman.

"Please."

Cara released his shirt and barely noticed that Kahlan held onto her wrist for a heartbeat longer. "We will look at this cabin in the morning."

"But—"

Kahlan touched his arm, unaware of Cara's eye rolling. "It will be an advantage to us, and I assume as long as no one goes anywhere tonight, no one will be harmed. If not, we'll do whatever we can, but we cannot blunder around in the dark after something we don't know anything about if it's not necessary."

His shoulders slumped but he nodded. "Thank you, Mother Confessor."

Zedd at this point decided he needed sleep for the powerful magic he'd undoubtedly be needed for and retired shortly before Cara. She just couldn't take anymore of Kahlan's assurances to the people. Really, it was pointless. She'd never understand people; she'd leave them to Kahlan.

"Why so huffy?"

Cara halfway turned to look at Kahlan before huffing and going up the stairs. "I am not huffy."

"Whatever you say, Cara."

She heard the smile in Kahlan's voice as clearly as the woman's steps behind her and huffed. Today had been ridiculous, but at least there was something logical. A monster terrorizing a town. She'd been pretty dismissive, sure, but it didn't sound pressing or like Darken's style. Certainly not the Sisters of the Dark. They were too convoluted and Darken was too proud and this was too pointless.

"Oh, no."

Cara had already sat on one of the beds in their room, lost in her thoughts, by the time Kahlan spoke. She didn't, however, question Kahlan's words because she saw what Kahlan saw. She launched off the bed and threw open the window, throwing an unlit candle at the wispy owl in the tree. It hooted and flew away after the third candle came its way and Cara slammed the window shut. Ignoring Kahlan's giggles, she stormed over to the wall next to Kahlan's bed and beat her fist on it.

"Damn you, Zedd!"

* * *

**A/N: **Well, there was the sort of introductory chapter, I guess. Cara's going to be so mad at me in the next chapter xD  
Gosh I'm so rusty at writing. Hopefully this helps. And helps you, on the basis that perhaps you enjoy Cara and Kahlan.


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